Improvement in fare-boxes for street-cars



H. R. ROBBINS. Fare-Box for Street-Gar.

No. 220,661. Patented Oct. 14,1879.

1 E 1:? C] E] E] fl KD fl m I WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

MM Y h) ail/L: ATTORNE? N-FETERS, FHOTO-LITHDGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D O,

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY R. ROBBINS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAMESE. STANSBURY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOXES FOR STREET-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,661,, dated October14, 1879 application filed May 29, 1879.

To all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. ROBBINS, of Baltimore city, State ofMaryland, have i11- vented a new and Improved Street-Oar Fare- ReceivingApparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of the car, the sectionbeing taken just back of the car-seat and the view being from theinside. Fig. is a vertical transverse section through the line as w ofFig. 1.

In that class of street-cars in which a farebox in one end of the car ismade to fulfill the duties of a conductor in receiving the fares nolittle inconvenience has been experienced on the part of the passengersin depositing their fares. This grows out of the limited space in thecar and thenecessity of each passengers passing to the end of the car,which involves the liability of stumbling upon the toes or being pitchedinto the laps of the other passengers, which liability is greatlyincreased by the frequently crowded character and irregular motion ofthe car, and involving also the further liability of losing ones seat.

It has been proposed to remedy this difliculty by using an inclined tubeor trough extending through the length of the car, and provided with aseries of inlet-orifices, into which a ball is deposited and allowed toroll into a receiving-box at the end; but the dit'ficulty here is tosuitably arrange this inclined tube so as to be out of the way andprotected against bending or breakage, which would render itinoperative.

The object of my invention is to obviate these difficulties; and to thisend it consistsv in arranging a flat inclined conduit between the backof thecar-seatand the side of the car, and connecting with the same aseries of receiving-throats of different lengths, extending upwardlyabove the back of the car-seat, between the windows.

In order to insure the passage of the fare, I propose to dispense withpasteboard tickets, and use in the place of the same circular metalchecks, of the same size and general character as the five-cent pieces.The adoption of these metal checks will not only permit the plandescribed to be successfully practiced, but re- .fare even when going uphill.

duces the liability to counterfeiting, which is easily practiced uponthe ticket system, and the necessity for preventing which alreadyexists.

In the drawings, A represents a street-car of the usual construction. Inthe rear of the back of the seat, and just below the row of windows, Iarrange a flattened way, B, which is in the nature of a conduit of alittle greater thickness than the coin or check which traverses thesame, so that said coin or check is kept upon its circular edge and in avertical plane to enable it to readily roll. This conduit extends fromend to end of the ca and at its forward end it dips wilhan inclinationsufficient to insure the forward travel of the At the forward end of thecar it communicates with a receiver or fare-box, O, which may be theordinary Slawson box, or, any other approved form which will permit thedriver to inspect its contents.

In the space between each of the windows of the car I arrange depositingthroats D, which communicate with the common conduit B. These throatshave two openings, one of which, a, is at such a height as to permit apassenger when sitting to readily deposit a fare, and the other ofwhich, I), is formed in the upper portion of the throat, in a positionwhere those standing may deposit their fares without: inconvenience tothe parties who may be sitting in front of the lower openings.

For the benefit of those who may be standing upon the step when the caris crowded, a slot, 0, is formed in the rear end of the conduit, openingupon the outside of the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is-- Thecombination, with a street-car and its longitudinal seat, of an inclinedconduit arranged between the back of the seat and the side of the car,and having depositing-throats of difl'erent lengths extending upwardlyfrom the same, between the windows, the said conduit having areceiving-box at its lower end,

substantially as shown and described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 22d day ofMay, 1879.

HENRY R. ROBBINS. Witnesses:

EDWD. W. BYRN, OHAs. A. Pn'rrrr.

